What it means
تخلف (takhallof) means a violation, offence, or infraction of a rule, regulation, or law. It is borrowed from Arabic, where it is a Form V verbal noun from the root خ-ل-ف (kh-l-f), which relates to falling behind, lagging, or acting contrary to what is required. In Persian administrative and legal language, تخلف is the standard term for any breach of a specific rule: a traffic violation, a workplace disciplinary offence, a building code breach, or an infraction of professional conduct standards. A close contrast is انحراف (enherâf), which implies a broader or more gradual deviation from norms, while تخلف refers to a specific, identifiable rule being broken. A synonym used in more serious criminal contexts is جرم (jorm), meaning crime.
How to use it
- این تخلف منجر به جریمه نقدی میشود. (in takhallof monjar be jarime-ye naqdi mishavad.) “This violation will result in a monetary fine.”
- گزارش تخلف را به بازرسی ارائه دادیم. (gozâresh-e takhallof râ be bâzrasi erâe dâdim.) “We submitted the infraction report to the inspectorate.”
- تخلف رانندگی در پروندهاش ثبت شد. (takhallof-e rânandegi dar parvande-ash sabt shod.) “The traffic violation was recorded in his file.”
- هیچ تخلفی در این اداره تحمل نمیشود. (hich takhallofi dar in edâre tahammol nemishavad.) “No infraction is tolerated in this office.”
Cultural note
تخلف is the word you will encounter most on official notices, traffic camera fines (قبض جریمه, qabz-e jarime), and disciplinary letters in Iranian workplaces and government offices. The term also appears in compound phrases such as تخلف صنفی (takhallof-e senfi, trade guild infraction) and تخلف ساختمانی (takhallof-e sâkhtomâni, building code violation). Iranian regulatory bodies across sectors, from medicine to construction, maintain formal تخلف registers, and a documented takhallof can affect licensing, promotions, and professional standing.